It was great to spend time with ⁦Wissam al-Saliby⁩ today as he takes the helm of ⁦21Wilberforce⁩. I appreciate his vision and energy for partnering with local churches to advance religious freedom for all.

The northern lights are great, but check this out in our NoVa neighborhood now…

Congrats Netherlands Embassy in the US 🇳🇱🇺🇸 and Belgium in the USA on the best #EUOpenHouse by far. Some had long lines that didn’t move. Others were unexciting or asked guests to pay for food and drink. The Netherlands and Belgium kept their long line moving and treated guests to free fare. Well done!

Congratulations to Georgetown College and Dr. Allen. Wonderful to see major donors stepping forward. At a time when small, liberal arts colleges are closing, great to see my alma mater succeeding. The future is bright!

Great to have participated on such a distinguished panel!

Behold, I Am Doing a New Thing wix.to/oX1v3cO

Untapped synergies exist between cultural heritage experts, FoRB advocates, and interfaith practitioners around sacred sites. See our report on the rich discussions from our conference at Pepperdine's beautiful Château d'Hauteville campus. Thanks Int.Partnership Religion & Sustainable Development for posting!

Unbelievable finish! Never seen a Derby that close!

Just yesterday in its 2024 Annual Report, USCIRF once again recommended Eritrea as a Department of State Country of Particular Concern, where it has remained since 2004. Eritrea, which persecutes all faith groups, is our May focused Prayer Guide, available here: caapnetwork.org/prayer-guides

To get a firsthand account of the atrocities in Darfur in the early 2000s, read Daoud Hari's 'The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur.' He worked with Nicholas Kristof, BBC, NBC Ann Curry, and others. His account of his kidnapping with a National Geographic reporter and rescue was moving.

Enjoyed Kiwi hospitality at the New Zealand Embassy to celebrate Pacific Island Week. Great to engage with UN ambassadors from that crucial region on issues of common concern and shared values. These nations all score exceptional well on Pew’s religious freedom report.

Saturday marks the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby, which has run every year since 1875 on the first Saturday in May. For the uninitiated, here is my annual primer on the Run for the Roses! knoxthames.com/post/150-years…

Check out my latest Religion & Global Affairs newsletter. I break down the recent Pew Research Religion report and highlight areas of concern and possibilities. shoutout.wix.com/so/2dOwzqpRe?l…